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Low-Calorie Dips and Spreads

Decadent dips often translate into extra calories that can blow your diet before you know it. Whether you’re hosting or bringing snacks for a party, you can feel good about these low-cal dips that all clock in under 125 calories. Guests will love the bold flavors and colors. You'll find everything from herby spreads like our Zesty Green Goddess Dip to nutty options like our Peanut Butter Hummus. Pair with fresh veggies, our Nutty Whole-Grain Crackers, or one of our Healthy Homemade Chip Recipes.

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Low-Calorie Dips

So often the party tray can be too tempting to resist with creamy offerings accompanied by crunchy, salty dippers. Rethink how you approach an appetizer spread by offering a lower-calorie, healthier option. With all these dips and spreads, take care to serve with fresh veggies when possible. Whole-grain crackers and baked chips also make smarter dippers.

Here we’ve lightened a seasoned favorite. Serve with hearty crackers or slices of French bread and we promise nobody will know this is the healthy cousin to dip that’s usually loaded with sodium, fat, and calories.

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Beet Yogurt Dip

Harness beets' striking color and earthy-sweet flavor in this glorious spread inspired by Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Temimi. For a little extra heat, use up to 1/4 teaspoons za'atar spice blend as a substitute for fresh thyme, but skip ground thyme because it lends a dirt-like taste. Serve with raw carrot slices, cucumber slices, pita bread, or rice crackers for scooping.

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Avocado-Yogurt Dip with Cumin

Scoop this creamy dip with pita chips and carrot, celery, red bell pepper, and jicama sticks. Prepare up to eight hours in advance, and refrigerate in an airtight container. To further simplify prep work, use precut vegetables from the produce section.

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Date, Walnut, and Blue Cheese Ball

The sweet-savory combo of dates, walnuts, and blue cheese, topped with the earthiness of fresh flat-leaf parsley, brings your regular cheese ball up a notch. Prepare this retro-chic snack up to two days ahead, and serve with crackers, bread, or veggies.

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Baba Ghanoush

Baba ghanoush (bah-bah-gah-NOOSH) is a Middle Eastern dip typically made from eggplant, tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice. One of our readers, Karen Waldman, was dissatisfied with the baba ghanoush recipes she was finding, so she created her own. By combining mayonnaise and tahini, she tinkered, found her perfect combination, and even incorporated it into a Greek-themed Thanksgiving meal. The unique dinner was an instant hit with her family.

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Zesty Green Goddess Dip

Because fresh herbs are increasingly available, you can make this tangy, peppery dip year-round. So skip the baked, greasy dips and replace them with a dip that highlights fresh veggies. The best part: you'll never have to turn on your oven.

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Peanut Butter Hummus with Cucumber Dippers

Don't let the peanut butter trip you up; this savory dip still packs all the great flavors of hummus with an unexpected, nutty note that provides thickness, creaminess, and flavor. Hummus is made more kid-friendly with the addition of peanut butter. Top with crushed peanuts for extra crunch. Serve with vegetables or pita chips. To easily measure 7 tablespoons water without losing count, pour 1/2 cup into a measuring cup and remove 1 tablespoon.

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Creamy Garlic-Herb Dip

Step away from the packaged ranch dip and offer a homemade alternative. You can prepare this all-purpose dip up to a day ahead. Serve with cauliflower and broccoli florets, carrot and celery sticks, and bell pepper strips.

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Smoked Salmon Dip

A classic smoked salmon dip or spread is something every hostess should have in her back pocket. Make this dip ahead, and serve it on whole-wheat crackers or toasted baguette with a pretty sprig of dill. Save the leftovers to smear on a toasted bagel half over coffee the next morning.

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Roasted Garlic, Sun-Dried Tomato, and White Bean Dip

Creamy beans and sweet sun-dried tomatoes offer the perfect texture and flavor combo in this simple dip. You can prepare a day ahead and bring to room temperature before serving. For a more formal presentation, serve on bagel chips garnished with rosemary sprigs. For a casual gathering, serve in a bowl with crackers or bagel chips for dipping.

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Easy Guacamole

The food processor makes quick work of this basic dip that's rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. We like the heat from leaving the seeds in the jalapeño, but you can seed the pepper for a milder guac. Serve with baked tortilla chips or crudités.

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Cucumber and Dill Dip

You'll find this simple, refreshing spread in many Mediterranean dishes like Gyros or served with pita wedges. We found that the perfect balance of Greek yogurt and dill pairs well with sliced cucumbers, carrots and celery.

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Banana, Chocolate, and Hazelnut Dip

Serve this dip on graham crackers or add it to a peanut butter sandwich for a touch of sweetness without adding a heaping load of calories. Made with Greek yogurt and light sour cream, this delicious spread is a guilt-free treat.